How To Setup Windows Deployment Services - Step by Step

This covers the process of setting up a Windows deployment environment in Windows Server 2003, and configuring images to install completely unattended by configuring a Sysprep.inf file to do an installation for down-level images.

Instead of sitting in front of a computer for hours going through Windows setup and installing software... you can deploy a Windows image across a network whilst working on something else, come back in 15 minutes and start using the computer!

NOTE:Not for the faint hearted – I recommend reading up on as much other documentation as possible... especially from Official Microsoft sites as it will be different in every environment, depending on the computers/servers being used .

Download Windows Deployment Services and install on Windows Server 2003

Download Windows Automated Installation Kit and install on your Windows Server.

• download .img
• burn to DVD (imgburn) and install

Configure Windows Server 2003 (Parts Taken from Microsoft Technet Site).

• On the Start menu, click Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Deployment Services.
• In the left pane of the Windows Deployment Services MMC snap-in, expand the server list. If there is not a server listed under the Servers node, right-click the Servers node and click Add Server to add the local computer.
• Right-click the server that you want to manage, and click Configure Server. If the server is not in the servers list, right-click the Servers node to add a server.
• At the Welcome page, click Next.
• At the Remote Installation Folder Location page, do one of the following:
  • If this is a new installation of Windows Deployment Services (that is, if the server has not been running RIS), click Next to accept the default location of C:\RemoteInstall.
  • If the server has been running RIS (that is, if you are moving from Legacy to Mixed modes) you should specify the location of your existing RemoteInstall folder. However, note that the location should not be on the system partition.
• If the Microsoft DHCP service is on the server that is being configured as a Windows Deployment Services server, set DHCP Option 60 to PXEClient and set Windows Deployment Services to Do not listen on Port 67.
• On the PXE Server Initial Settings page, select how you want the server to respond to clients. Known client computers are computers that have been created (prestaged) in Active Directory before the operating system is installed./?LinkId=81031.
• Click Finish to complete the configuration.
• Clear the Add images to Windows Deployment Services now check box, then click Finish.
• If you want to modify any of the settings of the server, right-click the server in the MMC-snap in, and clicking Properties.

Create boot and capture images in WDS

• Boot image (Add Boot.wim located on the Windows Vista DVD, in the \Sources directory)

A few problems I ran into here was that the WinPE image didn't have drivers for every computer I was trying to boot into. I found that I had to inject drivers into the image to get it to work.

Also, depending on which CD you take the image from , you may have to do some extra steps here. I was using a dell disc and every time I booted to try and Capture or Install an image i got this error...

"Windows could not display the images available for installation."

To inject drivers and get rid of the nasty Windows error, this is what I did...

• Disable Image
• Open up Windows PE Tools Command Prompt from Start>Programs>Microsoft Windows AIK and type the following (obviously, you'll need to change the location to suit your setup).

  (IMAGEX /MOUNTRW F:\REMOTEINSTALL\BOOT\X86\IMAGES\BOOT.WIM 2 F:\REMOTEINSTALL\BOOT\X86\IMAGES\BOOT)

• Navigate to the mounted image. Open the "sources" folder.
• Find and delete the file “pid.txt”(This solves the Windows error)

  

• Then to add network drivers for the target machine you'll need to...
  • Download up to date drivers (always use Vista drivers if available).
  • Inject the drivers into your image using the following syntax (Remember to change the command to point to where you saved your device drivers).

    (PEIMG /INF=F:\REMOTEINSTALL\TEMP\DRIVERS\VISTA\*.INF MOUNT F:\REMOTEINSTALL\TEMP\MOUNT\WINDOWS)

• Un-mount the image using the following syntax.

  IMAGEX /UNMOUNT /COMMIT F:\REMOTEINSTALL\BOOT\X86\IMAGES\BOOT

• Re-enable the image
• Right Click on the image and select Create a Capture Image.

  

• Once the wizard is complete add a new boot image and select the capture image you just created.

Create C:/SYSPREP folder on the reference computer

• You'll need to copy the sysprep files (sysprep.exe, setupcl.exe, setupmgr.exe) from a Windows XP cd into the Sysprep folder. The files are under Sources/Tools/Deploy.cab.

On your Windows Deployment Server, create a sysprep.inf

• Get the sysprep.exe from Win XP cd (see steps above) and run through the wizard... you'll need to answer as much information as possible for the setup to be completely unattended.
• For unattended installation to take place I found I had to be very precise as to where I placed the sysprep file. See my example below.

  F:\RemoteInstall\Images\(Image Group)\(Image Name)\$OEM$\$1\sysprep.inf

  

Create and configure a brand new windows installation to be imaged. Once image is 100% perfect ...Sysprep the system

• Open cmd
• ‘change directory’ to sysprep folder e.g. cd c:\sysprep
• “sysprep.exe –mini – reseal – reboot”

On reference computer boot to network card and capture an image (if a computer needs a reserved IP to operate on your network you will need to set one up now).

After capture is complete, close the Windows Deployment Services app (on the server) and re-open to check the image is there.

Install an Imange

• Boot to Network card on target computer.
• Select the image and run through Setup. It should boot to mini-setup but answer all the questions for you.

Windows Deployment Services is now set up on you Windows Server 2003!